Apparatus for weaving selvageless cloth



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APPARATUS FOR WEAVING SELVAGELESS CLOTH Original Filed Oct. 16, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /1.9 Fig.4

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APPARATUS FOR WEAVING SELVAGELESS CLOTH Original Filed Oct. 16, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 17 U 128 28 2s 26 2s 20 25 United States Patent 3,174,516 APPARATUS FOR WEAVING SELVAGELESS CLOTH Max Steiner, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Sulzer Freres, S.A., Winterthur, Switzerland, :1 corporation of Switzerland Original application Oct. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 145,148. Divided and this application Feb. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 346,966 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Mar. 28, 1961, 3,697 61 1 Claim. (Cl. 139-292) The present invention relates to a weaving machine for producing a fabric whose weft threads at the lateral edge of the fabric are bound by means of binding threads which are parallel to the warp threads. The weft threads are cut outside of thebinding threads.

The present application is a division of copending application Serial No. 145,148, filed October 16, 1961.

In the machine according to the invention two or more adjacent binding threads which are parallel to the warp threads and placed at the location of the lateral edge of the finished cloth are wound or twisted about each other upon change of the shed. The sense of rotation of the binding threads may be changed after each or after a plurality of picks whereby the threads are equally often rotated in one direction and in the opposite direction for producing a single crossing. In this case no rotating thread spools are needed. If the direction of rotation is not changed a twisted crossing is obtained. In the latter case a special twisting apparatus is needed. With the aforedescribed single and twisted crossing instead of a screenlike crossing of the weft and warp threads a firm binding is obtained which cannot slide from the weft thread ends.

In conventional weaving machines the entire weft thread ends are laid into a following shed at the change of shed whereby a selvage is provided whose width corresponds to and is almost as great as the length of the tucked-in weft thread ends.

In the machine according to the invention the weft thread ends projecting beyond the binding threads are bent over and tucked into the marginal warp threads of a subsequently formed shed for producing a temporary selvage. Only a part of the bent-over length of the weft thread ends is tied in warp threads; the remaining lengths of the weft thread ends project freely. The thus formed narrow selvage is subsequently severed from the cloth.

The machine according to the invention comprises a temple having a cover provided with an edge for guiding the cloth to the temple, the edge having a recess at the lateral edge of the finished cloth and inside of the outermost marginal warp threads and having a length corresponding to the space taken by but a few warp threads so that the apex of the shed formed by a part of the warp threads which are within reach of the selvage laying or tucking needle is above the elevation of the apex of the shed formed by the remaining warp threads, permitting passage of the tucking needle below the few warp threads traveling toward said recess and limiting tucking in of weft thread ends to the outermost marginal warp threads.

A cloth made according to the invention has a narrow, temporary selvage formed by bent-over weft thread ends, only a part of whose lengths is bound by warp threads, the remaining part of the weft thread ends projecting freely. The weft threads are bound between the main part of the cloth and the narrow, temporary selvage by binding threads which are parallel to the warp threads and the temporary selvage is severed along and outside of the binding threads.

The invention provides a narrow but stable tucked 3,174,516 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 selvage during weaving. This makes it possible to secure the edge of the main portion of the fabric by means of a simple twist binding which can be obtained by simple means, namely by doup heddles inserted in the heald shafts, instead of by a twisted crossing which alfords binding-in of loose weft thread ends but requires a special twisting apparatus. The simple twist binding is sulficiently held by the narrow selvage during weaving when the binding is subjected to the warp tension. After cutting off the selvage there is no tension on the binding which forms the edge of the fabric and there is no danger of fringing. The stable narrow tucked selvage can be cut off easier and cleaner than freely protruding weft thread ends, even if the latter are bound by a twisted pair of threads.

The invention is suitable for producing cloth having cut-off weft threads and having no selvage, the main part of the cloth being confined by a simple twist binding. The invention is particularly suitable for producing dense weaves wherein a tucked selvage would be too thick and must, therefore, be cut off at a minimum of waste. The invention is also useful for producing cloth to which subsequently a layer of a different material is applied, for example cloth serving as a base for oilcloth, for bookbindings, professional clothing, and so on. Cloth to which a layer of synthetic material is applied must not have a selvage which is thicker than the main portion of the cloth to facilitate application and holding of the synthetic material. A selvage which is thicker than the main part of the cloth or hinders, for other reasons, the application of a layer of different material, must be cut off. This, however, should involve a minimum of waste. This object is obtained by the present invention which considerably reduces the width of the selvage which is removed from the cloth.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of embodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate on a large scale sections parallel to the weft threads of cloths produced according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of warp threads, weft threads and finished cloths and parts of a weaving machine for producing a selvage according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a weaving machine according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the portion of a weaving machine shown in FIG. 5, the section being made along line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the portion of a weaving machine shown in FIG. 5.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1 designates warp threads into which weft threads 2 are bound, only one weft thread being visible in FIG. 1. On the left side of the main portion 3 of the cloth a simple twist or single cross binding is formed by two warp threads 4 and produced by doup heddles. About two warp threads are omitted at the left side of the binding threads 4, leaving a space 19 where there are no warp threads. Warp threads 5 are at the left side of the empty space 19 which form together with the end portion 2a of the weft thread 2 and the bent-over tucked-in part 2b a tucked-in selvage 6. Only a portion (2b) of the weft thread end is bound into the warp threads 5, the remaining portion 7 of the weft thread end being freely projecting. The selvage 6 is relatively narrow. The selvage 6 is severed along the space 19 approximately at 8 outside of the lateral edge of the main portion 3 of the cloth at which edge the binding threads 4 are located.

A cloth made in the conventional manner and having the same weaving width but having completely bound-in 'weft thread ends 2b, 7 has a narrower main portion 3a and a selvageof-the width 6a corresponding to the entire length of the bent-over weft thread 21), 7, which selvage is much wider than the'selvage 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the bent-over weft thread ends 2b, 7 are bound only by marginal threads and not by all warp threads within the selvage 6. The inner warp threads 5a of the selvage 6 are not bound with the bent-over weft thread ends 2b, 7.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the inner edge of the selvage 6 which faces the main portion 3 of the cloth is bound by a simple twisting binding 9 produced by doup heddles. This facilitates severing of the selvage 6 at 8.

As seen in FIG. 1 the narrow selvage 6 is placed so far to the left that the binding threads 4 at the lateral edge of the finished cloth are within the space defined by the length of the bent-over weft thread ends 2b, 7 and, therefore, are within the space of a corresponding conventional selvage 6a having entirely bound-in weft thread ends 21), 7. The main part 3 of the cloth is, therefore,

broader and the selvage 6 is narrower.

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawing, numeral 11 designates fabric or cloth. Numerals 1 and 5 designate warp threads and numeral 12 designates a just beaten up weft thread which is cut by cutting means 37 at a location beyond the warp thread last passed by the means which inserted the weft thread. Numeral 13 designates a selvage laying or tucking needle which is placed lower than the fabric 11. The point 14 of the needle 13 moves along a path indicated by a dotted line 15 after beat up of weft thread.

As seen in FIG. 4 the point 14 of the tucking needle moves from the starting position shown in FIG. 4 to the left and subsequently upward (15a). While traveling through the path portion 15a the needle 13 comes close to the warp threads 5 which are in the lower shed, pressin'g these warp threads slightly upward. Thereupon the path of the point 14 goes to the left (15b) whereby the needle 13 enters the shed. Subsequently, the needle point 14 travels downward (15c) towards the beaten-up weft thread 12 and to the left towards the end 15d of the needle path. The weft thread end, not shown, is now seized by the hook 17 of the needle 13 and the needle moves to the right (15a), pulling along the thread end 2b, 7 and tucking it into the shed. Since the needle leaves the shed already when crossing the needle path portion 15a at 15) before the entire length of the bentover weft thread end 2b, 7 slides from the hook 17 of the tucking needle, a narrow selvage according to FIG. 3 is produced. The remaining portion 7 of the Weft thread end is not bound but hangs freely out of the cloth. Thereupon the needle travels to the reversal point 15g and moves therefrom through the path 1511 to the starting position in which the needle is shown in FIG. 4.

The dash line shown in FIG. 4 illustrates the path of the selvage laying needle 13 when producing a conventional selvage of the width 6a in FIG. 1 having fully tied-in weft thread ends 2b, 7. In this case the point of the needle 13 immediately travels upward along a path 18 from the starting position and thereupon moves to the left (18a) and enters the shed already at the beginning of the path portion 18a. Thereupon the needle point travels along the previously described path 15b, 15c, 15e, 15f, 15g and 15h.

FIG. 4 shows the space 19 wherein there are no warp threads and which is confined between the twisted thread pairs 4 and 9. A knife 21 is provided for cutting off the narrow selvage 6, which is preferably wound on a roll 38 forming part of the weaving machine. The roll 38 may be frictionally connected to the main loom drive for rotation and the cut-off selvage 6 can be used for tying packages or the like.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show parts of a weaving machine for producing narrow selvages, particularly of the type shown in FIG. 2. Numeral 24 designates a temple including a plurality of-needle rollers 23 which are mounted in slanted position on a shaft 25. The temple is covered by a cover 26 having a horizontal edge 27 normal to the warp threads 1, 5 and guiding the cloth onto the temple 24. The edge 27 has a recess 28 which is about 3 mm. deep and placed adjacent to and inside of the outermost marginal warp threads 5. Only a few warp threads 5a pass through the recess 28 and are thereby held above the weaving plane 29. The elevation of the apex 12a of the shed 36a formed by the warp threads 5a is above the elevation of the apex of the shed 36b formed by the remaining warp threads 1 and 5.

Numeral 31 in FIG. 5 designates a shuttle for inserting Weft threads into the shed. The figure shows two heddle frames 34, 35 carrying heddles 32 and 33, respectively, for forming a shed 36. The frame 34 is in upper shed position and the frame 35 is shown in low shed position.

The path of a tucking needle 13 (FIG. 4) is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7. When the needle travels along the portion 15b of the needle path it is in the position designated by 13a in FIG. 5, i.e., below the warp threads 5a forming the lower shed 36a. When the point of the tucking needle reaches the point 151' of the needle path the needle enters the shed 36b formed by the marginal warp threads 5. The end of the weft thread seized by the tucking needle is, therefore, tucked into the shed 36b formed by the marginal warp threads 5 when the needle travels along the portion 15:? of the needle path. Thereupon the needle 13 leaves the shed 36b below the warp threads 5a forming the lower shed 36a and the end 7 (FIGS. 1-3) of the weft thread hangs down.

Instead of providing single pairs of binding threads 4 and 9 two or more pairs of single crossed binding threads may be provided. The binding threads maybe rotated through to the right after insertion of a first weft thread and maybe rotated 180 to the left after insertion of the second weft thread, and so on. The warp threads which are used as binding'threads may be rotated two full revolutions to the left after the insertion of -'a first weft thread and may be rotated two full revolutions to the right after the insertion of the second weft thread. It is also possible to rotate the warp threads forming the binding threads through 360 to the right after the first pick and to continue rotation once more through 360 to the right after the second pick. In this case the binding threads are rotated through 360 to the left after the third pick and are once more rotated 360 to the left after the fourth pick. In any case, the binding threads are rotated equally often to the right as to the left within one twisting cycle as it is required for single crossing.

The invention is applicable to weaving of material whose warp and weft threads and particularly the warp threads forming the binding threads 4 and 9, are cotton, wool, or other textile material, for example synthetic material. The invention can-also be used when weaving wire.

I claim:

In a loom for weaving, warp threads, weft threads, means for inserting the weft threads into a shed formed by said warp threads, means for cutting each inserted weft thread at a location beyond the warp thread last passed by the weft thread inserting means, a tucking needle for tucking the ends of the inserted weft threads between marginal warp threads for forming a selvage, a temple, a cover for covering said temple, said cover having a horizontal edge normal to the warp threads for guiding the just formed cloth to said temple, said edge having a recessed portion placed inside of and adjacent to the innermost marginal warp threads and having a length corresponding to the space taken up by a few warp threads for allowing the apex of the shed formed by said few warp threads to be at an elevation above the apex of the shed formed by the remaining warp threads for permitting passage of said tucking needle below said few warp threads which are in low shed posi tion prior to entering the part of the shed formed by the outermost marginal warp threads and for limiting tucking of the weft thread ends to the outermost marginal warp threads.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/40 Pfarrwaller 139-126 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,655 1898 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

